VIDEO: Climate Camp 2008

Undercurrents in association with VisionOnTV reported the people who are making a differenece by working together collectively. When large numbers of determined and well-organised people get together they can turn things around, making a historic difference.The climate camp aimed to do just that. Whether it’s participating in the collective organisation of the camp, taking part in workshops or taking direct action to tackle dangerous developments like new coal-fired power stations; being at the camp was about people getting together to respond positively to the climate crisis.

Climate camp TV studio was hosted by http://visionOn.TV over the week of the gathering in August 2008.

In their own words - this is what the Climate Camp organisers say
‘The Camp is a place for anyone who wants to take action on climate change; for anyone who’s fed up with empty government rhetoric and corporate spin; for anyone who’s worried that the small steps they’re taking aren’t enough to match the scale of the problem; and for anyone who’s worried about our future and wants to do something about it.The people putting on the Camp for Climate Action are all volunteers, lots of us learning how to do it as we go along. We’re a pretty diverse bunch – teachers, nurses, students, couriers, plumbers, graphic designers, doctors, youth workers, lawyers, carpenters, campaigners, artists, carers and many, many more.

We started in August 2006, when 600 people gathered at the UK’s biggest single source of carbon dioxide, Drax coal-fired power station in West Yorkshire for ten days of learning and sustainable living, which culminated in a day of mass action against the power station. Our aim was to kick-start a social movement to tackle climate change.Next, with over double the numbers organising the Camp, we hit the big time in summer 2007; media hysteria greeted our decision to camp a few hundred metres from Heathrow airport. Over 2,000 people came to the weeklong camp. We chose Heathrow as we wanted to help local residents stop Heathrow’s owner BAA from building a third runway.

This year, we’ll be at Kingsnorth, and be joined in our resistance to the expansion of the fossil fuel economy by eight other climate camps taking place around the world.Every Camp for Climate Action event weaves four key themes: education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a movement to effectively tackle climate change both resisting climate crimes and developing sustainable solutions.Everybody is welcome, so hopefully see you there’